Understanding the Bounty System in League of Legends

The bounty system has been a critical part of League of Legends for around 15 years. League of Legends is a game that consists of numerous battles, known as Rifts. The bounty system presents an exciting dynamic by placing a reward on players who are excelling in the game. Therefore, when these players are defeated, opponents receive additional gold, subsequently balancing the playing field. Since its inception, there have been various modifications to the system in an effort to maintain fairness and transparency.

Specifics of the Bounty System

There are different ways in which champions can accrue bounties. If a player gains a considerable gold advantage over the adversary, whether through kills or assists, they accumulate bounties. Also farming (the act of gathering resources to gain experience or gold) can lead to bounty accumulation. It is important to note, champions that are worth extra gold upon death are identifiable by the bounty displayed above them.

There are two types of bounties in the game. The positive (kill) bounty which provides extra gold for killing a champion that amassed a substantial amount of gold via kills, assists, or creep scores (CS). The players who are on a kill streak and accrue this form of bounty are typically referred to as “shutdown” bounties. The second type of bounty is the objective bounty. This kind of bounty is not tied to champions, rather, it’s given when the team that is lagging takes objectives such as turrets or dragons.

How Bounties are Computed (Patch 14.21 Onwards)

Different factors contribute to the calculation of champion bounties. More specifically, champions receive 1 bounty gold for every 4 gold earned through kills and assists, and 1 bounty gold for every 20 gold earned from minions and monsters. A shutdown gold, which is a specific category of bounty, is awarded only when killing a champion that carries a bounty of not less than 150 gold. It is crucial to highlight that positive bounties are not exclusively tied to kill streaks. Instead, they are calculated by comparing the overall gold obtained from different sources to the foe’s team.

Also, the bounty system calculates the reduction in potential bounty by decreasing the bounty by 1 for every 4 gold given to killers and assisters per death. One unique feature of the bounty system is its compensation for team gold disparities. This enables a player who is farming exceptionally or securing many kills to gather a bounty, even if their team is not performing well.

The impact of kills and deaths on bounty is significant. Essentially, obtaining a kill can reset negative bounties or increase positive bounties by 100 or 150 gold. Conversely, dying can decrease your bounty by roughly 50 gold per death.

Objective Bounties and Their Role

Objective bounties play an essential role in the gaming experience. They appear when one team has a significant advantage over the other in terms of gold. This allows the trailing team to receive a temporary gold bonus for accomplishing objectives like destroying turrets, securing dragons, or defeating Baron Nashor.

The Influence on Community and Gameplay

The bounty system influences the overall gameplay and community interaction positively. It fosters strategic decision-making as it encourages players to specifically target and engage opponents who are performing exceedingly well. Despite some mixed reactions from the community regarding the recent modifications made on the bounty system, many appreciate the increased transparency and deliberation on the system’s overall impact on the game dynamics.

For richer understanding of the bounty system, multiple platforms offer tutorials and breakdowns, such as YouTube videos like “Bounty Reworked EXPLAINED”. The League of Legends Wiki provides the most recent updates on how different types of bounties function and their historical changes. On a final note, to get a critical view of how the system functions, one could explore community guides and opinion pieces which discuss strategic implications and controversies surrounding the bounty system.